A high-performance $500 million network developed by Qwest Communications, Nortel Networks, Cisco Systems, and the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development was reveiled on September 29, 1998. The network was unveiled by Vice President Al Gore in April. With the help of more than $500 million in private investments and $50 million from universities, Abilene is being developed by the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development under a five-year commitment to use fiber optic network materials and other technologies from the three tech firms. The backbone will serve universities participating in Internet2 and will interconnect with existing advanced research and education networks, such as the high performance Backbone Network Service, and will work with federal agencies. Indiana University will harbor the guts of Internet2's Abilene network through the Abilene Network Operation Center, which connects more than 130 universities at breakneck speeds. Indiana University beat out about ten other university and private-sector proposals to house Abilene's network operations center, Internet2 officials said today. Internet2 will not be available immediately to the public, but technology and applications developed on the university system are expected eventually to help speed up the global Internet.
Internet2 backbones debut